Orthorexia Nervosa and Disordered Eating Attitudes, Self-Esteem and Physical Activity among Young Adults

Brytek-Matera, Anna; Pardini, Susanna; Szubert, Joanna; Novara, Caterina

doi:10.3390/nu14061289

Cited by 14 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 48 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…In a recent review of 210 publications, it has been reported that positive body image is associated with greater participation in physical activity and sports [ 39 ]. In addition, studies show that body image perception is not only linked to physical activity but also to eating behaviors [ 40 , 41 ]. Indeed, in our study, it was observed that as the physical activity levels of the students increased, their eating attitudes improved.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Similarly, a study conducted with university students showed that the eating attitude of individuals who do regular physical activity improves positively [ 41 ]. On the other hand, another cross-sectional study on university students revealed that young adults with a high susceptibility to eating disorders have a higher level of physical activity than those with low susceptibility to eating disorders [ 40 ]. In the light of all these data, physical activity, muscle strength satisfaction, and the emergence of positive eating attitudes can be associated with the contribution of routine physical activity to positive body image and the desire to protect this improved image by supporting it with diet.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

The Effect of Bigorexia Nervosa on Eating Attitudes and Physical Activity: A Study on University Students

Arslan

Ayhan

Sarıyer

et al. 2022

International Journal of Clinical Practice

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Purpose. This study aims to examine the relationship between physical activity, eating attitude, and bigorexia nervosa among university students. Method. A questionnaire form consisting of sociodemographic characteristics, eating habits, the Eating Attitude Scale (EAT-40), the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), and the Muscle Appearance Satisfaction Scale (MASS) was conducted on undergraduate students at Üsküdar University. Results. There were 1006 students who participated in this study with a mean age of 22.58 ± 2.87 years. The median “muscle appearance satisfaction” score of the obese students was statistically higher than the normal weight and underweight students. The median score for “Obesity Anxiety” was statistically higher in underweight students than in obese ones. A one-unit increase in IPAQ scores was related to an elevation of 24.9% in the MASS and a decrease of 17.9% in the EAT-40 scores, while a one-unit increase in MASS scores was related to a reduction of 12.5% in the EAT-40 scores. Conclusion. Eating attitude is associated with bigorexia nervosa, and as MASS scores increase, EAT-40 scores decrease and as IPAQ scores increase, and EAT-40 scores decrease. In other words, as physical activity increases, muscle strength satisfaction elevates, and in parallel with this increase, a positive eating attitude improves.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effect of Bigorexia Nervosa on Eating Attitudes and Physical Activity: A Study on University Students

Arslan

Ayhan

Sarıyer

et al. 2022

International Journal of Clinical Practice

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…As it is an instrument that has been widely used to assess orthorexia nervosa in many studies, a more refined verification of the instrument may contribute to further support the findings obtained in research that used it as a measure of orthorexia nervosa or may contribute by pointing out the need for replication of some studies using a more accurate orthorexia nervosa assessment instrument. For example, a recent study [ 37 ] investigated the relations between orthorexia nervosa and other variables, such as eating disorders, self-esteem, and physical activity, using a different questionnaire from the Ortho-15, called the Eating Habits Questionary.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Associations between Orthorexia Nervosa, Body Self-Image, Nutritional Beliefs, and Behavioral Rigidity

2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Possible correlations between orthorexic self-reports, unhealthy nutritional beliefs, behavioral rigidity related to following rules, and distortion of body self-image were investigated. In total, 246 university students of both sexes, from different areas of knowledge, answered a sociodemographic form, the Ortho-15, the Body Shape Questionnaire, the Rigidity Scale, and a Nutritional Beliefs Form. Orthorexic self-reports were observed in 73 men and 106 women. A positive correlation was found between females and orthorexic self-reports (p = 0.036), and severe distortion of body self-image (p = 0.002) and between the latter, the behavioral rigidity scale (p2 = 0.189; p = 0.001), and female sex (p2 = 0.245; p < 0.000). In the logistic regression, women were 1.83 times more likely to present orthorexic behaviors than men. The creation of prevention and treatment strategies aimed at women is suggested and it recommended that studies investigating whether the presence of orthorexic self-reports is a risk factor for the development of eating disorders are carried out.

show abstract

“…Although a generalization to the whole population should not be made, considering the recent suggestions on the need for further investigation of the comorbidity between ON and OCD across different cultural groups[ 50 ], it emerged that ON could be an indicator/symptom of other problems related to body image perception, as well as high PA, psychological distress, appearance, fitness, health, or IO, in some university students. Accordingly, recent studies have found relationships between ON, vigorous-intensity PA and dieting[ 47 , 57 ]. In our study, the ORTO-7 was found to be independent from these confounders, after the exclusion of UW, OW, OB, and EAT-26 and K10 positive students, suggesting the possibility of defining subjects with ON.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Overlap of orthorexia, eating attitude and psychological distress in some Italian and Spanish university students

Aiello¹,

Toti²,

Villaño³

et al. 2022

World J Psychiatry

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

BACKGROUND Orthorexia nervosa (ON) is the persistent concern of maintaining the self-imposed diet to improve one's health. Many factors have been associated to ON in univ-ersity students. AIM To assess the prevalence of ON in Italian and Spanish university students in relation to eating attitude and psychological distress, and the possible overlaps between ON (evaluated with different scored questionnaires from the originally proposed ORTO-15), distress and risk of eating disorders. METHODS This study was carried out on 160 students recruited at La Sapienza University of Rome and at the Catholic University of Murcia. Questionnaires were administered to evaluate ON (ORTO-15 and sub-scores), body concerns (Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire, MBSRQ, and Body Uneasiness test, BUT), psychological distress (Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, K10), physical activity (International Physical Activity Questionnaire, IPAQ), eating attitude (Eating Attitudes Test, EAT-26) and malnutrition (Starvation Symptom Inventory, SSI). Sex differences, within the same country, and differences between Italian and Spanish students, within the same sex, were evaluated. RESULTS The ORTO-15 positive subjects, assessed with the originally proposed cut-off, were above 70% in both Italian and Spanish students, with a higher prevalence in the Spanish sample (Italian females 76.3%, Italian males 70.7%; Spanish females 97.0%, Spanish males 96.3%). According to ORTO-7, about 30% of Italian and 48% of Spanish students were positive to ON with no significant sex differences. When excluding students underweight (UW), overweight (OW) or obese (OB), as well as those potentially at risk of eating disorders or presenting mild, moderate and severe distress, in the resultant normal weight (NW)-K10 neg -EAT-26 neg subgroup, we did not find many correlations observed in the whole sample, including those between ORTO scores and BUT, SSI, Total MBSRQ and some of its components. Moreover, ORTO-7 resulted in the only ON score unrelated with Body Mass Index, MBSRQ components and IPAQ-assessed intense activity, in the NW-K10 neg -EAT-26 neg subgroup. After this sort of “exclusion diagnosis”, the prevalence of ON of these students on the overall sample resulted in 16.9%, 12.2%, 15.2% and 25.9% for Italian females, Italian males, Spanish females and Spanish males, respectively. CONCLUSION In some university students ON could be a symptom of other conditions related to body image concerns and distress, as well as to high physical activity and appearance, fitness, health or illness orientation (from MBSRQ). However, ORTO-7 became independent from these confounding variables, after the exclusion of UW, OW, OB and students positive to EAT-26 and K10, suggesting the possibility of identifying orthorexic subjects wit...

show abstract

Orthorexia Nervosa and Disordered Eating Attitudes, Self-Esteem and Physical Activity among Young Adults

Cited by 14 publications

References 48 publications

The Effect of Bigorexia Nervosa on Eating Attitudes and Physical Activity: A Study on University Students

The Effect of Bigorexia Nervosa on Eating Attitudes and Physical Activity: A Study on University Students

Associations between Orthorexia Nervosa, Body Self-Image, Nutritional Beliefs, and Behavioral Rigidity

Overlap of orthorexia, eating attitude and psychological distress in some Italian and Spanish university students

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About